‘Water shortage severely affecting rice harvest’: Farmers forced to sell agricultural lands for peanuts: minister

KARACHI: Due to severe water shortage, rice growing season in Sindh is rapidly approaching to an end. Sindh’s Environment Minister Ismail Rahoo has said that due to climate change and water scarcity, southern Sindh including Badin, Thatta and Sujawal is in the grip of famine.

On International Day for Disaster Management and Famine, he said owing to water scarcity, farmers in Sindh are forced to sell their agricultural lands to the builder mafia for pennies.

This is why agricultural land is being converted into residential colonies in most parts of Sindh.

Sindh’s Environment Minister further accused the former government of saying that there was a lot of injustice in water distribution with Sindh during Imran Khan’s tenure.

Despite having water, Sindh was deprived of its share of water. If Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif does not play his role in ensuring equitable distribution of water, Sindh will be engulfed in famine.

Muhammad Ismail Rahoo said that the ground water level in Sindh is declining rapidly and the ground water has also become quite bitter.

The vast majority of Pakistan’s population is largely indifferent to the protection and utility of the environment, which necessitates an awareness campaign at the government level. Moreover, mango, cotton, sugarcane and rice crops have been burnt due to lack of water in Sindh.

Ismail Rahoo said that due to pollution, the earth’s environment is changing rapidly and water reserves are declining which is leading to drought. Rice cultivation season in Sindh is rapidly approaching to an end.

Pakistan earns 2.5 billion dollars annually from rice exports, 80 percent of which comes from Sindh.

Ismail Rahoo said that not a single acre of rice could be sown in Badin, Thatta, Sujawal and Tando Muhammad Khan including Larkana division due to shortage of water, due to which there is a fear of rice crisis in Sindh province.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022